Zavioli with Spinach and Ricotta

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
• 1/2 clove garlic (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 extra large zucchini
• 9 toothpicks, soaked in water
• 1/4 cup pasta sauce
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and pepper together in a bowl.
3. Grind basil, oil, and garlic together into a chunky paste using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts to the pesto; grind to the size of small peddles.
4. Slice zucchini lengthwise into strips using a mandoline.
5. Arrange 2 zucchini strips in the shape of a cross. Spoon some of the ricotta cheese mixture in the middle of the cross. Top with a dollop of pesto. Fold ends into the center to create a parcel, starting from the bottom end and moving clockwise. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining zucchini strips, ricotta cheese mixture, and pesto.
6. Spread some of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Arrange zucchini parcels on top, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Spoon a bit of pasta sauce on top of each parcel. Sprinkle Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese on top.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until sauce and zucchini begin to brown, about 20 minutes.